Pools And Slides As North Korea Set To Open 'World Class' Tourist Resort
North Korea has completed construction on a massive tourist resort boasting colourful water slides and swimming pools, state media said on Thursday, a pet project of leader Kim Jong Un.
Kim was an enthusiastic visitor this week to the sprawling site on the isolated country's east coast, which is set to open its doors on July 1 to domestic tourists and maybe one day foreign ones.
Analysts have said Kim showed a keen interest in developing North Korea's tourism industry in his early years in power, with the development of the Wonsan Kalma Coastal Tourist Area known to be a key focal point.
The nuclear-armed North reopened its borders in August 2023 after almost four years, having closed them because of the Covid-19 pandemic, during which time even its own nationals were prevented from entering.
Foreign tourism was limited though even before the pandemic, with tour companies saying around 5,000 Western tourists visited each year.
Kim on Tuesday attended a lavish inaugural ceremony for the tourist zone, which hosts accommodation for nearly 20,000 people and what Pyongyang claims is "a world-class cultural resort", the Korean Central News Agency said.
Photos released by state media showed him sitting in a chair watching a man flying off a water slide and wearing a suit at the beach.
Wonsan Kalma houses "sea-bathing service facilities, various sports and recreation facilities" and is "equipped with all conditions... for providing the beauty of the scenic spot on the east coast in all seasons", according to KCNA.
Kim, with "great satisfaction", said the construction of the site would go down as "one of the greatest successes this year" and that the North would build more large-scale tourist zones "in the shortest time possible", it added.
Kim was joined by his daughter, Ju Ae -- considered by many experts to be his likely successor -- and his wife, Ri Sol Ju.
South Korean media reported, based on images released by Pyongyang, that Ju Ae appears to be wearing a Cartier watch - despite such a high-end item being banned from import into North Korea under UN sanctions, imposed in response to the country's nuclear and missile activities.
The North last year permitted Russian tourists -- Pyongyang has close ties with Moscow -- to return for the first time since Covid and Western tour operators returned in February this year.
Russia's Tass news agency on Wednesday reported that a passenger train from Pyongyang had arrived in Moscow, marking the reopening of the direct rail route between the allies' capitals after a five-year suspension.
A tourist train between Rason -- home to North Korea's first legal marketplace -- and Russia's Vladivostok resumed in May this year, according to an official from Seoul's unification ministry.
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NDTV
10 hours ago
- NDTV
Pools And Slides As North Korea Set To Open 'World Class' Tourist Resort
North Korea has completed construction on a massive tourist resort boasting colourful water slides and swimming pools, state media said on Thursday, a pet project of leader Kim Jong Un. Kim was an enthusiastic visitor this week to the sprawling site on the isolated country's east coast, which is set to open its doors on July 1 to domestic tourists and maybe one day foreign ones. Analysts have said Kim showed a keen interest in developing North Korea's tourism industry in his early years in power, with the development of the Wonsan Kalma Coastal Tourist Area known to be a key focal point. The nuclear-armed North reopened its borders in August 2023 after almost four years, having closed them because of the Covid-19 pandemic, during which time even its own nationals were prevented from entering. Foreign tourism was limited though even before the pandemic, with tour companies saying around 5,000 Western tourists visited each year. Kim on Tuesday attended a lavish inaugural ceremony for the tourist zone, which hosts accommodation for nearly 20,000 people and what Pyongyang claims is "a world-class cultural resort", the Korean Central News Agency said. Photos released by state media showed him sitting in a chair watching a man flying off a water slide and wearing a suit at the beach. Wonsan Kalma houses "sea-bathing service facilities, various sports and recreation facilities" and is "equipped with all conditions... for providing the beauty of the scenic spot on the east coast in all seasons", according to KCNA. Kim, with "great satisfaction", said the construction of the site would go down as "one of the greatest successes this year" and that the North would build more large-scale tourist zones "in the shortest time possible", it added. Kim was joined by his daughter, Ju Ae -- considered by many experts to be his likely successor -- and his wife, Ri Sol Ju. South Korean media reported, based on images released by Pyongyang, that Ju Ae appears to be wearing a Cartier watch - despite such a high-end item being banned from import into North Korea under UN sanctions, imposed in response to the country's nuclear and missile activities. The North last year permitted Russian tourists -- Pyongyang has close ties with Moscow -- to return for the first time since Covid and Western tour operators returned in February this year. Russia's Tass news agency on Wednesday reported that a passenger train from Pyongyang had arrived in Moscow, marking the reopening of the direct rail route between the allies' capitals after a five-year suspension. A tourist train between Rason -- home to North Korea's first legal marketplace -- and Russia's Vladivostok resumed in May this year, according to an official from Seoul's unification ministry.
Indian Express
16 hours ago
- Indian Express
Why the Jeff Bezos-Lauren Sanchez wedding festivities in Venice saw protests
Amazon founder and billionaire American businessman Jeff Bezos married journalist Lauren Sanchez earlier this week in Venice, Italy. Over 200 guests, including Oprah Winfrey, Ivanka Trump, Kim Kardashian, Queen Rania of Jordan, Bill Gates and Leonardo DiCaprio, were in attendance even as hundreds of locals protested the three-day festivities. The venue of one event was changed following the demonstrations. 'We are here to continue ruining the plans of these rich people, who accumulate money by exploiting many other people… while the conditions of this city remain precarious,' one demonstrator told the Associated Press. Some of the issues that the protesters cited have been raised previously, but the wedding of the world's fourth-richest man provided an opportunity to highlight them. Here is what to know. One reason is the growing frustrations over 'overtourism' in Europe. Multiple factors — increased global travel post-pandemic, long-haul movements becoming more accessible and social media adding a sense of glamour, trendiness and aspiration around travelling — are held responsible for tourists flocking to the continent. While Europe has long been a global tourist hotspot, locals in cities like Venice and Barcelona have increasingly become critical of the after-effects. Last year, thousands of people in Barcelona fired water pistols at tourists in protest, raising slogans of 'Tourism Kills the City' and 'Barcelona is Not for Sale'. With a population of approximately 1.6 million, the city has seen a significant increase in tourist numbers after the Covid-19 pandemic. From 9.7 million tourists in 2022, the number rose to around 26 million in 2023. They generated significant economic activity, but at the same time, higher demand has raised prices, making renting houses expensive for locals. Overtourism at beaches, mountains and other natural areas can also add to environmental pollution and degradation. The famous Venetian boats, as well as the speedboats at the Bezos wedding, can adversely impact water flows and aquatic life. To tackle this, some caps have been imposed on the number of tourists allowed in some cities, and additional payments have been mandated for short stays. However, not everyone agrees that the wedding in question will have a net negative impact. Caterer Rosa Salva told the AP, 'Events like this bring quality tourism to Venice,'' he said. 'I don't see how an event with 200 people can create disruptions. It's responsible tourism.' Bezos has also reportedly donated 1 million euros each to three environmental research organisations working to preserve Venice. Beyond overtourism, another factor at play may be the people in question. Bezos is not the first celebrity to wed in Italy — the Kardashians, actor George Clooney and human rights lawyer Amal Clooney, and closer home, actors Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh are among the many to have done so in the last decade. What sets Bezos apart is his net worth of $231 billion, a fraction of which (around €40 million or Rs 400 crore) will be on display. Extremely wealthy businessmen are also not a new phenomenon, but the wedding comes at a time when public perception of such displays — and the mere existence of billionaires — has become a moral issue for some. According to the AP, the protestors were joined by the British group 'Everyone Hates Elon,' which has smashed Tesla cars to protest billionaire businessman Elon Musk. Lauren Sanchez also came under fire in April for using a spacecraft from Bezos' private company, Blue Origin, to take an 11-minute trip to space with an all-women crew, dubbed by some as a 'vanity project'. Bezos, meanwhile, has come under criticism over the years with reports of Amazon workers at warehouses being made to work in difficult conditions, including in the United States. This has been contrasted with his rise, and against excesses such as the ninety private jets that flew in the celebrity guests to Venice. Other billionaires, such as the singer Taylor Swift, have previously been heavily criticised for using private jets for short rides in particular, given the large amounts of fuel they burn. Those critiques, especially online, often sarcastically compare such actions with the general calls for the masses to use paper straws to lessen their carbon footprint. The negative perception also goes beyond the actions of billionaires. One protesting group said they had no problem with the wedding, but were 'against unchecked wealth, media control, and the growing privatisation of public spaces.' In a 2019 article in The Washington Post ('Why does everybody suddenly hate billionaires? Because they've made it easy.'), journalist Roxanne Roberts noted that following the 2008 global financial crisis, high-earning bankers who were at the centre of it largely went unpunished in the United States. This gave birth to the Occupy Wall Street protests in New York in 2011, with slogans such as 'We are the 99%'. This cultural shift is also backed by data on increasing income inequality. 'In the 1950s, the average chief executive made 20 times more than their employees; now, chief executives earn 361 times more — about $13 million per year at the country's top corporations,' Roberts wrote. 'This isn't about blaming any specific billionaire, but a growing resentment that the richest people and corporations have somehow managed to get richer while most working stiffs are just one or two missed paychecks away from a food bank… It's a gut feeling that the game is rigged, and the middle class and the poor are losing,' she added. Rishika Singh is a Senior sub-editor at the Explained Desk of The Indian Express. She enjoys writing on issues related to international relations, and in particular, likes to follow analyses of news from China. Additionally, she writes on developments related to politics and culture in India. ... Read More
New Indian Express
a day ago
- New Indian Express
Aizawl: No beggars, no spit, no chaos - Inside India's most "un-Indian" city
There's a wry joke in Mizoram about the rest of India: Everyone there is in such a terrible hurry, but somehow always manage to arrive late. When I heard it for the first time, I was on the edge of a mountain—to my right was one of Aizawl's busiest roads with bumper-to-bumper traffic, yet it was quiet enough to hear the flapping of a bird diving into the valley on my right, buildings dotting the slopes on the other side of the mountain. During my week in Aizawl, I never heard an unnecessary honk (the necessary honk will surprise you for its purpose). The understanding traffic, the quietness of busy roads gave me a culture shock. The first time I had encountered something similar was in 2002 in Germany, where in two weeks, the only horn I heard was fired at me when I was crossing the road on a red pedestrian light. To experience that same culture shock right here in India, amidst a people so quiet, so polite they can give the Japanese a run for their decency, that's a shock of a different kind. To truly understand Aizawl, forget everything you think you know about Indian cities. Tuck away the cacophony, the frantic urgency, the visible tension that often hangs thick in the air. And journey instead to the capital of Mizoram, the capital city of the Mizo people in the far eastern folds of the Himalayas, a city cradled by hilltops that are kissed by drowsy clouds that sensuously touch it as they pass by. It is a city that pulses with a different rhythm through its streets, feeling less like a chapter from the familiar Indian story and more like a vibrant, unexpected postcard slipped in from somewhere else entirely; somewhere remarkably like Japan, perhaps, nestled improbably within the Indian subcontinent. The Mizo people, guardians of this emerald paradise, seem to operate under a profoundly simple, yet radically different, philosophy: why make mess messier? Why turn misfortune into fury? It's a mindset that instantly strikes visitors, like it did me, accustomed as we are to the high-decibel stress of mainland Indian metros. Europe taught me the rarity of the unnecessary honk. Returning to India, I resigned myself to its constant presence. Until Aizawl. My friend Shashwati, my host in Aizawl, shared an incident she witnessed from her balcony, demonstrating the local culture. Two scooters collided head-on. Riders tumbled, and scrapes were sustained on their bodies. Now, picture this happening in mainland India: a volcanic eruption of curses involving mothers, sisters, ancestors would have followed; a flailing, shouting spectacle threatening to escalate into blows on both sides as a crowd gathered to watch. Shashwati, a Delhiite, braced for this familiar drama. Instead, she watched in stunned silence as both men picked themselves up, dusted off, straightened their bikes, exchanged a quiet nod, and rode away. Shit happens, seemed to be their unsaid principle, but why compound it by shittier behaviour? Her shock echoed my recollection of Western observers after the Fukushima earthquake. Despite the unimaginable loss and scarcity, the world watched in awe as the Japanese in Fukushima displayed no panic, no looting, only quiet dignity, and mutual aid that shocked experienced Western aid workers. Aizawl, it struck me, embodies that same spirit in its daily rhythms. Traffic jams occur, naturally, on narrow mountain roads. But the soundtrack to the jam is not provided by impatient honks and abuses, but by a near-silent, zen-like patience. Cars wait for their turn. At unmarked intersections, drivers consistently yield, stopping well back to allow cross-traffic to flow smoothly. Multiple times, I saw people backing away when there was no need to. In Mumbai or Delhi, the instinct is often to jam oneself forward, blocking everything, and then to hold one's ground, creating gridlock out of mere congestion. Here, the instinct is to prevent the mess. Joel, a driver who had often driven vehicles as far as UP, confirmed this ethos. "Elsewhere," he mused, "police are often seen controlling, sometimes beating people and traffic. Here, they seem genuinely focused on helping people." While I've seen delivery riders on electric bikes in Mumbai, weave dangerously through traffic in a desperate ten-minute dash, people in Aizawl are more likely to be engaged in ten-minute, utterly unhurried conversations, punctuated by gentle, respectful nods. I found myself speculating: perhaps the only significant difference between Japan and Mizoram is the depth of the bows and language? The composure, the understated manners, the inherent orderliness —it felt strikingly similar. And the honk. Yes, it's not like Mizos on Aizawl's streets don't honk. They do: 'honk honk' two quick, gentle dabs on the button. However, this occurs when the opposing vehicle is passing parallel to theirs. This gentle double honk is to say Thank You. Then there's the cleanliness. Oh, the cleanliness! Countless Indian cities trumpet claims of being the cleanest, often amidst visible evidence to the contrary. Yet, after two decades traversing this vast nation, I can confidently say Aizawl stands apart. Rubbish simply doesn't exist on the streets in any noticeable quantity. This puzzled me because people here chew tuibur (a local tobacco water). And like the rest of the Northeast, chewing a paan, betelnut, lime, and tobacco mixture is common. Where, then, are the tell-tale red stains that deface walls and pavements across the country? In a week of wandering, I saw no one spit publicly. The few instances I noticed seemed to be from those outside the Northeast. It rains a lot, yet there are no plastic bottles choking drains or empty packets drifting like urban tumbleweeds. Aizawl could be the poster city for Swachh Bharat, with zero banners for the 'Abhiyan' that failed to teach India cleanliness. Instead, it stems from a collective discipline, a shared respect for their shared space that seems ingrained.
